Let My Feelings Show
by RebelYell1205
Summary: A few old friends arrive for a visit in Princeton. Refers to events in episodes up to and including 3.19.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Pay particular attention to each chapter's particular POV, it will be important to the tone of each piece (I hope -- if I did this right at any rate). Also, I stink at creating titles. So I'm sorry to inflict them on you but every story needs a title, I'm told.

Warnings: foul language, references to sex and sexuality.

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part One

" Can I help you?" Cameron asked, surprised at seeing an unfamiliar woman sitting in the Diagnostics conference room. There was no hospital I.D. on her, so she wasn't a doctor, nurse or any other employee of PPTH. That, and the fact that she had what appeared to be dry-cleaning laid across the chair next to her, made Cameron naturally suspicious of her intentions. Random visitors to Diagnostics hadn't turned out to be patients' loved ones wanting to thank them in the past. Granted, this woman didn't appear to be a homicidal gun-toting psychotic…but then how many did?

" I'm just waiting for Dr. Chase." Well, at least she wasn't waiting for House -- Chase was less likely to have pissed someone off recently. Someone who wasn't Cameron herself, or Foreman, at least. There was…something about her accent that wasn't quite right, wasn't quite American but Cameron couldn't place it. House would be able to, probably, but House was harassing Wilson.

" If you're just dropping something off, I can make sure he gets it…" Cameron offered, a small polite smile on her face.

" Oh, the suit. It's a gift for Robbie. I'm kidnapping him a little early."

" O-kay." That made sense. In a parallel universe where people announced kidnappings, and Chase actually had a life that didn't revolve around the hospital. Cameron had been somewhat a part of his life since February, and he'd never been busy when she suggested they get together, or had plans when she invited him over to her place or even so much as received a call on his cell (that wasn't the hospital calling about something) in all those weeks. He didn't even mention people in casual conversation -- except elderly Mrs. Lehmann who lived across the hall from him, who he'd had to introduce to explain why he was accepting a plate of brownies from a woman who had to be eighty years old if she was a day.

" You must be Dr. Cameron."  
" Yes." Again, she was confused. Apparently Chase mentioned the hospital to whomever this was, even if he hadn't talked about her to people from the hospital.

" Robbie's never so much as mentioned me has he? Or that I'm in town this weekend?"  
" No, sorry."  
" I'm Elizabeth Hughes, I'm Robbie's friend. From home."  
" Australia?" It was a stupid question, but it was out before Cameron could stop herself asking it. "He's never mentioned it. And you don't have an accent."  
" I'm just in the habit of sounding American now." Sure enough, she suddenly sounded like a female version of Chase, and Cameron was surprised at the ease of the transition. Chase couldn't even make a decent attempt at an American accent. "Besides, I doubt my name would come up in a conversation with you. From what I heard, there wasn't a lot of conversation involved."  
" He told you about that?" Great, Chase was telling people now. Like they'd been together in an actual relationship.

" He was upset. You may not think it, but he _does _have feelings. He needed someone to actually listen to him and give a damn about _him_ for once."  
" It's not my fault he's fooled himself into thinking he loves me. I was honest. He broke the rules--"  
" Fuck the rules. You can't make rules about people's emotions. Especially not with Robbie. He never can stop hoping that…never mind. I really don't _want_ you to understand him."  
" I know enough to know-" Cameron started, but was interrupted before she could finish arguing that Chase wasn't in love with her, he was just lonely. It still sucked for him, and she was still sorry he got hurt, but she couldn't really help that he was lonely.

" Liz? What're you doing here?"  
" Robbie! You look…like you've dressed yourself in the dark again. I've missed you so much!" It was almost dizzying, watching the other woman go from annoyed to ecstatic so quickly. And there was not, absolutely not, a part of her that was upset to see another woman in Chase's arms, wrapped in a tight hug that lifted the smaller woman from the ground.

" I've missed you too. You look amazing."  
" I'm on a very large caffeine dosage right now. After the press and events and things, I'm really exhausted. Oh, here. I come bearing Armani. You're going to look so perfect in this suit."

" Speaking of that, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow. How'd you get here?"  
" I rented a car, went on mapquest in my hotel room before leaving and here I am. It's close enough to five, be irresponsible and blow off work and come back to your place with me. We've loads of catching up to do." Cameron was tempted to think Chase was trying to make her jealous (he'd accused her of doing so enough) by having some random woman show up at work, and hang all over him. Something about it seemed very genuine though. Chase pulled her into another hug, but had to shake his head.

" Can't leave until Foreman comes back with the latest telemetry results. If everything's clear, as we expect it to be, we can go. Shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes. Can I get you another coffee to top-up your caffeine?"  
" Oh no! I'll be bouncing if I add any more caffeine to my system."

" I like you bouncing."  
" You would."  
" Come on, sit down. You must be exhausted." Cameron almost choked on her bottled water, as the other woman let Chase guide her to a chair, only to insistently push him into the chair first and then sit in his lap. For someone who'd wanted "more" just a few short weeks earlier and had been acting oddly around her since, he'd sure moved on quickly to canoodling with some girl right in front of her -- at work.

" You know, there is more than one chair in here." Chase laughed, but didn't make any move to encourage her to move.

" Yes, but I can sit on chairs any day. I only get to sit on you every few years. Since you never come visit. Bad boy, Robbie. Bad boy." It was sickeningly cute, as she tapped on his nose lightly before running her fingers through his hair repetitively. "Your hair is shorter again. I like it like this."  
" It's easier. How's your trip been?"  
" Long. I can't wait to get home and just do nothing for a couple weeks. This is the first 'day off' I've had in two weeks. I hate press junkets. I'm told I'll get used to it."  
" Have you spoken to Dan recently? I don't think I've done anything to upset him but he hasn't returned my calls for the last week. Can't even raise Jen. Even tried Dr. and Mrs. Kelleher -- Emily gave me some bit of run around nonsense. Does she always giggle like that? I thought she'd outgrown giggling when she spoke to me years ago."  
" Maybe she still has a crush on you."  
" She's not even seen me in years. Is that the trick to getting girls to like me then? Be absent, so the heart can grow fonder?"  
" Don't ask me to explain Danny's sisters. How much longer?"  
" You sound a lot like a younger Emily. How much longer? How much longer? How much longer? Just a bit longer, little girl." Chase teased, tickling the girl in his lap and causing her to giggle a bit. It was…stunning and a little disgustingly sweet, to see him lit up like a little boy at Christmas, light-hearted and clearly enjoying himself. He was glowing again. It was a good look on him. But it was still very aggravating being stuck here waiting for Foreman with an overly cute Chase, some random girl he was probably sleeping with, and having to watch them be all giggly and loving.

"Stop it, Robbie."  
" Yes, stop it, Robbie." House's sarcastic voice was incredibly welcome at that point. He'd apparently come back to his office, on a break from harassing Wilson with whatever the latest hospital gossip had to say.

" You must be Dr. House. The limp is a giveaway." Both Chase, and his girlfriend, stood, Chase blushing a little and the woman looking…defiant.

" Elizabeth Hughes, this is my boss, Dr. House. House, this is Elizabeth. A friend from home."  
" Take your _friend_ home. I don't want canoodling in my office. And no janitor's closets either -- you and Cameron already did it there, it's bad form to take another girl to your old place so soon."  
" She's a friend, House."  
" Robbie, he just told you to leave. You have permission to leave early. Let's go."  
" Woman's anxious, Chase. Go. Enjoy. Stop being the lovesick idiot over Cameron. Your 'friend' is hot."  
" She's really just a friend, House."  
" Robbie, let's go. It was nice meeting you both, bye!"  
" Don't call me, I've the weekend the off!" Chase called over his shoulder, as his 'friend' pulled him from the room. Cameron scoffed, figures that Chase's "feelings" wouldn't last long -- typical Chase. Shake everything off two minutes after it happened. He couldn't commit himself to a hamster.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I forgot to mention that all original characters are introduced and (I think) pretty well explained in my story _Growing Up Chase_.

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Two

" I thought I was clear. No calling me in." Chase sounded about as disgruntled as they had ever heard him -- but when Cameron looked up she suddenly wasn't all that interested in his tone of voice. For quite possibly the first time in the three years she'd known him, Chase was well-dressed. The black suit was cut to accent the fact that he was well built, with a gorgeous light blue shirt and tie combination that made his eyes stand out. Even his hair looked…less kempt yet more intentionally mussed somehow, and it was a very good look on him. She was swiftly reminded of just why she'd chosen him to sleep with.

" Now I have the joy of driving myself into the city, rather than catching a ride with Liz. Ever so grateful."

" You're overdressed for a day of getting puked on or bled on by the kiddies." House commented, also visibly giving Chase the once-over.

" It's my day off."  
" It's Friday. Not a day off."  
" I took vacation. I have plans. What's the emergency -- or did you somehow get Cuddy to call me in just to harass me."  
" House, is -- oh, good. I was hoping you'd come up here, Chase. We need help in the E.R. and admitting downstairs, we've got kids from a local elementary school."  
" Speak of the devil and she appears." House commented, but waved Chase out the door with Cuddy. "Go. We don't need you today. That's an expensive suit -- put on scrubs!"

------------------------------------------------------------

It was nearing two in the afternoon by the time all the kids were either treated and released or admitted and settled into rooms. It looked like food poisoning in a cafeteria…luckily, it was mostly just the early morning kids who took breakfast there who were sick. A few of the others had "sympathy-itis" and were puking because they kept hearing or smelling puke. Not pleasant either, but far easier to treat. Chase was very glad he had indeed changed into scrubs once Cuddy had begun to describe the symptoms -- he was on his fifth set in three hours. His suit was safely in the locker room. If he hurried, he could still meet Liz in the city for the dinner/reception event the film company had arranged for before the premiere. He let Dr. Elgar, assistant head of Pediatrics, know that he was leaving and took the "employee only" stairs to reduce the risk of being asked to do something else on his way back upstairs. The minute he was in the locker room, he shucked his scrubs and was just sliding back into his suit trousers when the door opened.

" Oh, sorry. The door wasn't…I didn't know you were in here."  
" It's not like it's something you haven seen before." Chase replied, but he didn't really look at Cameron either. He wasn't shy, but he was uncomfortable with her seeing him undressed now that they weren't having sex any more. He didn't stop dressing, hoping to be able to make the dinner he'd promised Liz he'd be there for and to avoid another awkward moment with Cameron.

" That's a nice suit. You look very handsome."  
" Thank you. Liz bought it. She says I'm hopeless at dressing myself."  
" You must have pretty big plans in New York if you're this dressed up."  
" Dinner and the cinema, actually. Just a…really nice dinner. Business stuff for her. It's not a date. She's just a friend." Why he felt the need to say that, he hadn't a clue. It wasn't like Cameron would care even if it were a date. Still, he knew he didn't want Cameron to think it was a date.

" If it were a date…" Clearly, Cameron caught the not-so-subtle subtext, "I'd be happy for you. You _should_ date, Chase. I'm not interested, and maybe someone else would make you less lonely."

" It's not about being lonely." He sighed, then shook his head, finishing with his tie. He'd let Liz fix his hair (again) when he got to the city, she was always fiddling with it any way. "I have to go. Nothing's…different. With me. Liz was coming on this business trip even if you'd said you were interested. It's not a date."

" Chase, I'm not going to get any more interested in you just because you keep bringing it up."  
" I know." He nodded, and he did know. There probably wasn't much he could do to change Cameron's opinion of him. That didn't mean he was ready to give up entirely though. He'd spent his life clinging to people who didn't really care for him. It was old hat. Almost comfortable. He spared a soft, genuine smile for her, before brushing past on his way out the door. He wondered if he needed to stop by Diagnostics…but House wouldn't care if he said 'goodbye' or not, and it would waste time.

"UNCLE ROBBIE!" A little boy's shout, complete with familiar Australian accent, had him glancing down the hall to Diagnostics, despite having intended to bypass it entirely. He ignored the number of people -- staff and visitors alike -- who were staring, and crouched just in time to catch the sprinting three-year-old.

" Jack, what're you doing here?"  
" We're on holiday! We came all the way to Najezzie to see you. Hi, Uncle Robbie."  
" You're so big! Last time I saw you in person you were Michael's age."  
" Michael's a baby still!"  
" I know. Is that your mummy and daddy down the hall?"  
" uh-huh."  
" Think we should go down there so I can say hello?"  
" uh-huh. I knew you from your picture. Daddy saids you didn't live in his phone, but I wasn't sure…you sound like Uncle Robbie."  
" No, I don't live in the telephone." He grinned at the occasionally barely decipherable speech of his godson, and hugged Jack tighter -- for which he received an answering hug. He was surprised Jack had been able to recognize him at all, even with Dan and Jen showing him pictures. It had been half the child's lifetime since he'd even managed to go on holiday -- and he'd not been back to Australian since he'd left to come work for House.

"Rob, you look great. That has to be Liz's choice of suit."  
" Why do you think that?"  
" It fits you, properly, and it has color that matches without being all black. If you have to dress up and Liz isn't around, you wear a black suit with a black shirt and a black tie. Or if feeling conservative, a white shirt and a black tie." Dan teased, waiting for Rob to put Jack on the floor before pulling the smaller man into a tight hug. "You've cut your hair again."  
" Why is that the first thing everyone notices?"  
" Your hair is famous." Jen laughed, and Rob turned to face her and the toddler in her arms. He seemed a bit shy, burying his face in Jen's neck.

" This is Michael?" Rob asked, knowing that there was a bit of awe in his voice. He was used to kids, but the fact that they were his family -- by extension if not biology -- still amazed him. It was simply awe-inspiring that his friend was having kids. Even more frightening was the thought that Dan and Jen were trusting him to be a part of their boys' lives.

" This is him -- Michael Robert Kelleher," Dan confirmed, picking Jack up again, "so far he's living up to his namesake."  
" Causes loads of trouble does he?"  
" No." Jen smiled, running her fingers through her younger son's blond hair fondly. "He's quiet, actually, but very charming when he's not being shy. His favorite toy right now is an old stethoscope his grandfather gave him. Dr. Grandpa is very happy to see that. Can you smile and say 'hello' to Uncle Rob, Michael? No?" The boy stayed tucked into her, and Rob laughed.

" Don't worry about it. He'll get used to me, right?"  
" Once he's old enough to talk on the phone, he'll be like this one," Dan laughed as well, nodding to his older son, "spends all day Sunday asking when he's going to get to tell Uncle Robbie all about his week."

" Not that I'm not…_incredibly _happy to see you, but what're you doing here?"  
" It was supposed to be a surprise once Liz got you in to Manhattan. We were meeting for a late lunch, but…you had to grow up to be a doctor didn't you?"  
" Sorry. Trust me, it wasn't a fun time for me either. So that explains why you're in America, why are you here? In Princeton?"  
" We're your ride. The limousine is downstairs waiting. You have everything you need?"  
" Yes, but…a limousine to New York, from here? That's not exactly cheap--"  
" Rob, let Liz spend her money as she sees fit. Shut up about it. Enjoy the surprise. Come on, we're springing you from work. No more doctor stuff until Monday."  
" Fine, twist my arm." Rob agreed, leading the way towards the elevators. Once they were inside, he was surprised to find Jack climbing from his dad's arms, into Rob's. He accepted the boy of course, but looked down at him in surprise.

" We missed you, Uncle Robbie." Those words, and the tightest neck-hug he'd ever had, had tears welling in his eyes. He forced them back, and returned the hug happily.

" I've missed you more, Jack. Believe me, I've missed you more." Rob looked up, and smiled at Dan and Jen, letting them know the words were for them as much, probably more, than they were for their son.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Just a warning. There's some swearing ahead. Also some references to sex.

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Three

Laughter seemed to be the order of the evening, trying not to be too loud so as not to wake the boys sleeping in Rob's guest room, but occasionally unable to stifle the raucous reaction to some story or another. It was getting late in the evening on Saturday, and Rob was half-convinced to call in his first ever sick-day on Monday, just to have every hour possible with his family. They'd spent Friday night in the city, at the Plaza no less, with Liz insisting on picking up every tab. Now, they were back in Princeton after a day mostly spent exploring Manhattan. Liz had to leave for Los Angeles Monday night, and then on Tuesday morning Dan and Jen and the boys were flying to London to see her elder brother. So, even if Cuddy suspected he wasn't really ill, it would be worth it to have as much time as he could grab with people who made him happy. He got up to refresh drinks, and was halfway through opening a new bottle of wine for the girls when there was a knock on his door.

"Don't worry, Robbie, I've got it. Are you expecting anyone?"  
" No, but then I wasn't expecting you lot!" He laughed, but he loved having his apartment full of people. Even if it was a bit _overfull_ with Liz, Dan, Jen and both boys, plus himself all staying over the next two nights. The Carrolls, next door to Mrs. Lehmann, had a crib down in storage he'd borrowed for a few nights, and Jack would be fine on the sofa. Liz would sleep in with him, and Jen and Dan would be in the guest room and…he felt at home, really at home, in his apartment for maybe the first time since he'd come to New Jersey. So long as Liz didn't make any more mention of the photo of Cameron on his dresser -- yes, he'd kept it -- he could almost forget that he'd been miserable before this little reunion.

" Lizzie, glaring at the door is not the same as opening it. It's also not likely to make them go away." Rob noted, as he left the kitchen and handed Jen her glass of wine. Another knock, and he wrapped an arm around Liz's waist to pull her away from the door so he could open it. He hadn't given any thought to how it would look, answering his door barefoot and without a shirt (Lizzie had spilled wine on it earlier, laughing too hard) with his arm around her, until he found Cameron on the other side. Frankly, he was surprised she remembered where he lived. She'd only been over once.

" Allison?" He felt Liz stiffen next to him, but he dropped his arm from around her and took a careful if small step away from her. "I'm…surprised to see you."  
" I wanted to talk…but clearly you're busy." He wasn't entirely sure what she meant by 'talk' -- logically she meant a conversation, but she'd generally used it as a euphemism for jumping his bones since Valentine's Day. But she'd called that off, so maybe she really did mean talk.

" We can…talk in the bedroom, if it's urgent. Or you can just come in, join us. You'll hear a lot of stories about my wayward schoolboy days."  
" It's not…that important. It can wait until tomorrow."  
" We'll still be here tomorrow." Rob shot Liz a look, wondering why she sounded so victorious about the length of the visit.

" Rob? Is this the famous Dr. Cameron? Invite her in, I'd like to meet her." Jen called from the sofa, and Rob wasn't sure whether to kiss her or kill her. He really did want Allison to meet his family, get to know him better outside the hospital (maybe that would help change her mind about him) but he got the impression Liz was feeling rather protective, which might not be a good mix with a defensive Cameron.

" You don't have to stay long. But you should join us." Rob assured her, finding a smile to encourage her to come inside.

" I don't have a lot of time, but…sure." He was pretty sure, considering the look Cameron shot Liz, that it was less about what he wanted, and more about some weird sort of pissing contest (apparently, women did have them) between her and Liz.

" Allison Cameron, this is Dan Kelleher -- my mate from before either of us can remember -- and his wife Jen. You've already met Liz." There was a round of small talk and pleasantries, and Allison accepted a glass of wine before the stories began to flow again. He was shocked that no one seemed to be dragging up his most embarrassing times from school. In fact, nearly all the stories were contemporary issues, with Dan and Jen regaling them with tales of the boys' activities. It was maybe half an hour later that they were interrupted by the sleepy arrival of Jack, who climbed up into Rob's lap as if he'd been doing it every day of his life.

" I woked up and couldn't sleep. I need a new story."  
" A new story? I think I can manage that. But how about we go back to bed, and I tell it there? Just in case you get sleepy while I tell it."  
" Okay. But I'm not sleepy."  
" Come on, back to bed." Rob chuckled, getting up carefully (he wasn't as practiced at hauling around a kid as Dan & Jen, who made it look effortless) and re-settling his godson into bed. This was the sort of thing he'd be doing pretty often, if he lived in Sydney again. It was a pretty damn good reason to consider going home after his fellowship expired. He didn't have any children's story books around, so he told what he could remember of an old story his mum use to tell him -- but his memory wasn't much tested because Jack was asleep again in just a few minutes.

He emerged from the back bedroom to a tensely-lowered-voice version of World War III.

" You've got a bloody lot of nerve! You never gave a damn about Robbie, you just wanted a cheap, easy fuck. That's all he is to you -- someone to fuck when you want and treat like shit the rest of the time! You don't get to act like you're the one who's been wronged!"  
" It's hardly my fault he thinks he's in love with me. It was just sex!"

" Yes, the _nerve_ of a man to think the woman who keeps fucking him might actually care about him! I mean, haven't we been telling men for years that sex should be meaningless and cold and in semi-public places?"

" He never once said 'no'. And I was honest with him from the start. He's an adult, he knew what he was getting into. If it turned out he couldn't handle it, that's not my fault. You think you can judge a situation based on--"  
" Not a situation. Just a person."  
" Elizabeth. Stop it." Rob broke in, unable to let Cameron feel like his friends were ganging up on her. Although Jen and Dan hadn't said a word (that he'd heard), they were clearly behind Liz in this, and he'd not invited Cameron in so that his friends could be cruel to her.

"Robbie--"  
" I said stop. I asked you earlier to stay out of it and just let it be."  
" I _can't_. I'm sorry but I can't just sit back and watch someone hurt you like that -- treat you like that -- and then sit here and pretend I'm not ready to tear her to pieces over it."

" Liz, this really isn't-"  
" It's not like I meant to hurt him! I was honest, completely honest, the whole time. It was sex. A _physical thing _only. He agreed to that -- he knew what it was I wanted. It was fun, it was great while it lasted. I don't care for him. I don't want a relationship with him. If I wanted to hurt him, don't you think it'd be more effective to let him get his hopes up and then crush him later? To lead him on? _**He's **_the one that broke the rules. _**He's**_ the one who screwed up a great thing! _**Yes**_, I'm mad he broke the rules! I picked him because I thought he'd be perfect for an emotionless fling! It's not like he's not used to having sex with random women! He wasn't supposed to have any feelings!" Cameron shouted, and somewhere beyond his surface concerns about the current fight, and waking the boys and such things -- he'd heard it all. And it said a great deal about not just his place in her affections, but what kind of man she thought he was.  
" LIZ!" He grabbed his friend tightly, suddenly aware that she was about to hit Cameron. He'd never seen her punch anyone in his life, but he knew she was about to do so.

" Liz, why don't we go back in the bedroom, take a moment?" Jen suggested, and this time Rob was sure he wanted to kiss her. She was one of the most cool-headed people he knew, and he was grateful for it. It was really only partially a suggestion, and Liz must've seen that because she went quietly back to Rob's bedroom.

" I'm sorry, Cameron…Allison. I didn't think she'd…make a big deal of that. Not with you."  
" I should go. I just came to talk to you about things, but clearly that's not possible right now. I don't want to ruin your…reunion. For someone you 'aren't dating', is she sleeping with you tonight?"  
" Yes, but-"  
" I figured once you stopped being lonely your 'feelings' for me would disappear. Clearly I was right. Good, that should make things much easier at work again. No more awkwardness, now that you're over this crush, right? So, we don't really have anything further to talk about. I'll see you at work on Monday."  
" It's not a crush, I'm not twelve. And I'm not-"  
" It's not _anything_, Chase. You may think you have feelings for me, but…maybe it's just loneliness. We had a great thing, it was _**fun**_. That's it. Nothing deeper to explore. I'll see you Monday." She shut the door behind her, before Rob could formulate a reply. He was stuck somewhere between being furious, and being hurt. He didn't much like either option.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Very short part, so it didn't take me long to edit and update. Next part should be longer.

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Four

" Robbie-" He didn't even look up as the two women came out of the bedroom a few moments later.  
" Not now, Liz. Just…not now. I asked you to stay out of it. She's right, it's my own fault anyway. I should've known better. I'm going for a walk."  
" Rob, it's nearly eleven-"  
" I'll be fine, I'll be back shortly. I just need a few minutes." He didn't wait for any acknowledgement, just shut the door behind him and headed for the small park near his apartment. He needed to get out before he turned all the hurt and anger and messed-up feelings in his head on the people he loved more than anything in the world. He was mad at Lizzie, and he'd have words with her about it. Later. He wasn't going to mix the hate for himself with his anger at Lizzie. When he felt the anger ebb away, on his second lap around the park, felt the hurt welling up and a desperate need to cry set in, he grabbed the nearest bench and sat down.

" You look like you need someone to talk to."  
" Jen? What're you doing here? You shouldn't be out this late--" He forced his emotions back down, insisting still that no one would ever see him hurting if he could help it. Sometimes he couldn't help it, but he always tried to keep it all inside.  
" You're here. Mind if I sit down?"  
" You followed me?"  
" It was me or Dan -- he was nearly ready to tie Liz to a chair to keep her from running after you."  
" I can't deal with her right now, when I'm like this. She means too much to me."  
" You've been telling Liz your problems since you were a little boy, Rob. Why's this different?"  
" Cameron was right. I knew what I was getting into. She was honest with me. I did this to myself. Lizzie can't ever understand that sometimes the bad shit in my life -- it really is _my_ fault. And she'll argue with me, and I'll say something typically idiotic and cruel. I won't do that to her. I won't hurt her with words I don't mean, simply because I feel the need to shout at someone."  
" Shout at me."  
" Dan would kill me. Besides, I love you too. Hurting other people doesn't really make me hurt less. I might get a vindictive little thrill out of it, but eventually… it just hurts me more."  
" You know everyone in that apartment loves you, Robert. Unconditionally. Even if you did shout and say something hurtful, we'd understand. Yes, we might be angry for a little while, but…we've all been hurt, we understand venting sometimes. It wouldn't change how we feel about you. Nothing you do could change that." Jen reassured, and Rob smiled at her before pulling her into a brief hug. He really did envy Dan his wife so much of the time. Of course, Dan was a far better 'catch' than Robert Chase, so he deserved a better 'catch' for a wife. It was like House's numbers-theory, only turned from aesthetics to personalities -- 2's didn't get 10's. Or even 6's very often. What Rob needed to find was a 4, someone closer to his own number.

" Let's go back. Liz wants to apologize to you, and besides, it's cold out here."

" Lizzie doesn't owe me an apology. She owes one to Cameron, but I think I've got better chances of getting her to denounce Shakespeare."  
" You'd have a better change of getting her to renounce the Catholic Church _and _the triune God than you do of getting her to apologize to Dr. Cameron. And frankly, Rob, I agree with Liz. But for now, let's let it drop. Tell me a _fun_ story about your work -- Dan only ever passes on the scary, dramatic ones." She wrapped an arm around his waist, and leaned into him. He searched his mind for a good, fairly fun and happy story, and finally decided on something that had nothing to do with a Diagnostics patient.

" I was in the clinic, had this patient who was listed as female with 'abdominal cramping' as the primary symptom. Name was Josie -- and the nurses insisted on a male doctor, which should have made me suspicious but it didn't. So I walk in, and Josie is six-foot-three and built like a rugby forward, with the most obvious five-o'clock shadow I've seen, other than House, in months. _Joseph_ had a bowel obstruction of an interesting and very artificial type. I'll just say it was bright purple and had five different speed settings."  
" That's…just wrong." She was laughing though, and that was the point of the story. She didn't really want to hear about his ICU patients or the Diagnostics ones. The clinic provided the best _fun _stories.


	5. Chapter 5

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Five

When he and Jen had slowly made their way back to his apartment, he had her laughing at various stories of insane and idiotic clinic patients and had almost forgotten that he'd had a fight with Lizzie. Or at least, as close as they usually came to fighting. Aside from a few very memorable childhood arguments, and when she'd told him she was leaving Australia and again when he'd finally 'faced' her over his move to America, they'd not really had traditional fights. Mostly just these abbreviated falling outs, where one of them got frustrated, hurt, or angry enough to walk away before they said something they didn't mean. If he'd nearly forgotten, he was reminded the minute he came back into his apartment.

" I'm sorry, Robbie." He didn't have much choice but to hug her back, even if he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to do right now. He couldn't exactly shove her away or anything.

" I asked you to stay out of it, Liz."  
" You always ask me to stay out of your love life."  
" And yet -- you never do."

" I completely stay out of the relationships that aren't hurting you. Wait, that's right, you've never had one of those."  
" Maybe you should take the hint that the problem isn't with the women, but with _me_. It's not her fault I care for her. It's my problem, let me deal with it how I see fit. It's late, we've all had a long day. Dan, why don't we get the boys settled?" He turned away from her, deliberately cutting off whatever reply she wanted to make.  
" Sounds good, Rob -- you've got extra sheets for the sofa?" Dan apparently agreed with him that this conversation should wait, and helped him make up a bed for Jack before carrying his godson out to the sofa. Jen and Liz had cleared the glasses from the living room and were sorting the kitchen. It was unpleasantly silent compared to the earlier laughter.  
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It was pretty damn awkward being upset with someone you were sharing a bed with. It wasn't something Rob had much practice with -- he'd never lived with anyone and when he'd had a fight with a girlfriend one of them had always left. He felt Liz slide in next to him, and feeling fairly petty he turned onto his side, back towards her.

" We need to talk, Robbie."  
" It's late. I'm tired."  
" I can't go to sleep with someone I love angry with me. We have to talk about this."  
" Yes, because it's all about what's good for you."  
" I'm not her. I don't appreciate the comparison."  
" Then why couldn't you listen to me and, even if you thought I was being an idiot, just done as I asked? All I asked was that you not get involved in a situation you don't understand." He kept his back to her, hoping she'd get frustrated and give up. He should've known better, really. He was unpleasantly surprised by a sharp blow to the center of his lower back -- that would probably leave a bruise.

" I _understand_ that she propositioned you. She pressured you into sex at work, on your meal breaks, at _patients' homes_. I understand that she acted like you were being difficult and 'a baby' when you said you were uncomfortable with her --your -- behavior. I understand that she was patronizing and rude about your opinions and completely inconsiderate of your feelings. I understand that when you said you wanted 'more' she didn't say 'sorry, not interested' and take a minute to have a conversation -- she said you were just a bit of fun and it was over and ran away quick as she could. I understand that she then acted like _you_ had hurt _her_, had dumped her for the unmitigated gall of caring for someone, for daring to have feelings and to God-forbid voice those feelings. You're the one who told me that if you'd just gone along with her stupid little game that night, instead of insisting on telling her you wanted more, she'd have continued the whole thing -- even though she _knew_ what you really meant without you being explicit about it. She wasn't put off by you having feelings, but rather that you made her deal with the fact that you had feelings. As long as she can ignore the fact that you are a 'real boy' and not her fucking vibrator, she's happy to go right along with fucking you at every opportunity even knowing you felt more. But making her _acknowledge_ you might have actual _feelings, _be an actual person underneath the admittedly gorgeous exterior, that bothers her enough to dump you. She couldn't get enough of your cock, but the real person inside she hardly gives the time of day. I'm sorry Robbie, I just can't stay shut up when someone treats you like that. I told you already how I felt about the whole mess. You can do so much better than someone who can treat you like that."  
" Maybe I can't. Maybe I'm a '2' and should just settle for another '2'. Not that Allison is a '2'. She's probably around a '6', maybe a '7'. That's high aspirations for me."

" What the fuck is a '2'?"  
" House has this theory. Hot people end up with other hot people -- there are mitigating factors like money, fame, you know -- but mostly a '10' will end up with another '10', and a '1' with a '1'. It works about personalities too. Jen's a '9', Dan's about an '8', good match. You need to find a lad somewhere between a '6' and a '10', since I'd put you around '8' as well. Plus, you're hot, rich and getting famous…so, aim for a '10', you've got a good chance. Ow!"  
" I hate you sometimes, Robert Chase."  
" I just paid you a compliment, and you hit me. Again."

" I don't want compliments like that -- ones that are really about you being horrid about yourself! You can at least look at me you know."  
"Fine." He rolled over, but put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from trying to cuddle with him. He didn't miss the hurt in her eyes at the move, but he couldn't deal with that right now. He wasn't sure he wanted anyone touching him right now.

" Robbie, I'm hurt right now. I'm angry and I'm hurt and I want to hit both you and Cameron until you both see sense! I want her to see how badly she acted, how horribly she treated you. I want you to see that, too."  
" She wasn't wrong. I never stuck with a 'no'. She was honest from the start that she didn't care for me. I know I'm being an idiot about this but for once, I just can't give up. I can't pretend I don't care. I _know_ I'm going to be disappointed but I can't help it, Lizzie. I care for her. I want her to care for me. Is that so horrible?"  
" No. Not in the least. But…she's got her own issues, Robbie. Things that are clearly not going to let her see you for yourself. I hate it when people you care about do this to you. Every time you get disappointed like this, it…something happens. You lose just this tiniest little bit of sparkle in your eyes and you never really get it back. I love your sparkle. I love you."

" Fighting with Cameron didn't help me, Liz. She's only going to run further away now."  
" Good. She isn't good for you. But I am sorry that I hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt you more. I know what she said in there, because I made her angry, hurt you. Don't pretend it didn't. It hurt _me_, really hurt me, to hear someone say that you aren't supposed to have any feelings. To know that she treated you like that. It hurts me every time someone hurts you. And I feel like I just have to do something to make it better."  
" Come here." He pulled her into a hug, hearing her voice crack, seeing tears streaming down her face and completely unable to stay upset with her in view of her own hurt feelings. He kissed her forehead fondly, and ran his fingers through her hair. "You're an incredibly good friend, Lizzie. But sometimes, please, just trust me to sort my own problems? I'm not seventeen any longer. I'm not going to turn into my mum, or my dad, no matter what happens."  
" I just want you to be happy. And…you aren't happy here. You started to seem like maybe you were, with her, but then you'd have dark, down moods as well and…now it's just…I want you to be happy. I want you to be happy and safe and loved like you deserve. I can't promise I won't interfere again, you know."  
" Promise you'll try. Just _try_ to trust me next time when I tell you to stay out of something."  
" I promise to try. I love you so much sometimes I just can't help wanting to tear to pieces the people who hurt you." She replied, snuggling into him comfortably, suddenly sounding tired. Typical Lizzie, let her lose a bit of wind from her sails and she'll drop right off to sleep quicker than even little Michael. He hugged her tightly, still not too happy with her actions, but oddly grateful to have someone to be next to right now. It felt nice to just be held, and to know that it wasn't only because he'd exhausted her into sexual satiation. She wouldn't be asking him to leave in a few minutes, or even first thing in the morning. He wouldn't feel like he had to earn his little bits of affection by 'entertaining' her again in the morning either. He kissed the top of her head again, and when he was sure that her breathing was quiet and even, sure that she was completely asleep, he let himself finally cry.


	6. Chapter 6

-1Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Six

" So…," Rob looked up from the journal he was browsing, as Dan dropped next to him on the sofa.

"Oh, God. I know that voice. You're on a mission -- a mission from Liz."  
" Not quite a Blues Brother, but close." Dan laughed, but he nodded to acknowledge the truth of Rob's assessment. "She, uh, she told me about…last night."  
" You were here. Why did she need to tell you about it?"  
" Rob…this is weird. We don't normally talk about these things. I mean, I usually let Liz or Colin take this part of it. She's worried about you. Said you were crying for about half an hour last night."  
" She's gotten good at faking sleep. Damn actresses." Rob pretended to be interested in the journal article, hoping Dan would take the hint and drop a conversation that would make both of them uncomfortable. They were best mates, but it had always been understood between them that they didn't talk about certain things. Not directly anyway.

" She would rather not have to fake. She'd rather you felt comfortable enough to cry around us."

" She'd make a big deal out of it. Just like she is doing now. I was upset. No, I didn't appreciate hearing Cameron's opinion of me. I knew she thought she would never love me, but I thought…I hoped it was just she thought we were incompatible, that she'd not have fun with me or something. I thought I'd proven differently during our arrangement. That maybe she'd be willing to give it a try, once she'd seen more of me away from work, you know?"  
" And it turns out, she really didn't think there was anything there to like."  
" Pretty much. Apparently, I'm so shallow I don't have feelings at all. I'm also a manwhore. Not the most flattering opinions of my character. I already knew she thought I was just some spoilt rich kid whose Dad gave him everything he ever wanted, and that I'd rather betray House, again, than deal with a bastard cop with more power than he deserved, as if I didn't learn anything from the first mess I got myself in, and she thinks I never appreciated my father coming all the way to America just to see me. I guess I should've seen her poor opinion of me coming."  
" You know all this, and…you still want to pursue a relationship with her."  
" I like her. Knowing she doesn't think I'm much of anything doesn't change how much I think of her. Maybe it should but it doesn't. She's hardly the first person I've ever cared about that didn't much think me worth the time or effort."  
" You know people like you make therapists very wealthy people. Colin's right. You need therapy. You're recreating your mother, just minus the drunk. Oedipus Chase, nice ring to it." Dan rolled his eyes, and Rob could tell he was suppressing the desire to hit him. His friends tended to hit him when they were frustrated -- mostly just a little slap to the back of the head. Just in case, he edged a little further from Dan's reach.  
" No. When Mum was sober, she thought I was the greatest things since sliced bread, mate. She just…wasn't sober very often. Cameron's almost always sober."  
" I'm going to do my duty as your best mate now. First, Rob, she's not worth it. She treats you like shit, disregards your feelings and opinions, ignores you unless she wants a good fuck and makes stupid shitty comments about you without knowing anything at all. Second--let me finish," Dan cut off his objection, and Rob rolled his eyes but waved his hand to signal his friend to continue, "Second, you can do a lot better than her. You're a young, cute, foreign doctor -- don't tell me you've not got other options if you look. Third, I can't see what there is to like about a woman who apparently can barely tolerate you except as a fuckbuddy. Fourth, you really need to stop latching on to people who are just as big of asses as your parents."

" I care for her. I don't know why. I shouldn't care for her, I know. But I do. Just like I still care what House thinks, even when I promised I'd not worry about it any longer after…well, after. I even care what Foreman thinks of me, and I think Cameron probably has a higher opinion of my character than he does. Maybe my father was right, maybe I'm just one of those people that are hard to love." Rob sighed, remembering overhearing that conversation with his step-mother when he was seventeen. It was the last time he'd attempted to return to his father's house on long leave from school. It hadn't gone well. He'd fought with his step-sisters, and his step-mother barely acknowledged his existence except to insult his mother. With his father (still) working all the time, it had been an abysmal holiday. He'd stuck to his mother's house after that, even if it was empty and lonely. Somehow, it always hurt less to be lonely in a house by himself than to be lonely in a house with four other people living in it.

" Your father was an ass of the first order. He was also one of the most abusive dads I've ever met." Rob's head shot up, glaring at his friend angrily.

" My father never raised a hand to me or my mum. He may not have been a great man, but he wasn't abusive. Not ever."

" He wasn't around enough to hit you! He constantly pushed you to do better and more and do it faster. He never took a moment to tell you you'd done well, or that he was proud of you. He sent you off to boarding school a _week_ after your mum died -- if that's not psychological abuse I don't know what is. He let your stepmother ignore your existence entirely. You know, she used to send out things from the 'Chase family' and never bothered to include your name? I remember once, at this event for some research project, I went with my dad, I listened to her talk about how wonderful the children were doing and enjoying the Christmas holidays and the whole fucking time I knew you were miserable because you'd be having leftovers from whatever Johanna brought you on the 23rd for your Christmas dinner because you couldn't bear to go live in a house with her. He completely ignored you, Rob, for ten solid years. That's a different sort of abuse, but still it's abuse."  
" It's not the same. He never hit me. He never did anything to hurt me physically."  
" Maybe not, but he helped turn you into the mess you are. I love you anyway mate, but you're a mess. This shit with Cameron just proves it." Dan sighed and Rob fought a sudden urge to hug him. He'd been spending too much time with Lizzie recently, his first thought to cure all ills was a hug. "Do yourself a favor, Rob. Move on. She's not interested. It's her issues, not yours. Stop holding out for someone who isn't ever going to love you. And if I ever hear you call yourself a '2' or whatever it was that Liz tried to explain to me this morning, I'll personally take you outside and beat some sense into you."  
" I wish I could. Move on, I mean. It's stupid, and insane. But I really do care for her. I thought maybe the lack of sex would make it go away, but it hasn't. So it wasn't just the sex I liked. I miss talking to her. I mean, I never said much, mostly listened, but it was nice. When I did need to talk, about a case or a patient in the ICU or just a crappy shift in the clinic, she listened. She's an amazing woman, Dan. So much more to her than you'd think."  
" I don't think you want to hear my opinion on her, Rob. You won't like it. Just as a warning, Jen and I talked it over, and next time someone talks like that about you, we're letting Lizzie tear her apart. She'll do it too. I thought she was going to eviscerate Cameron with her bare hands."  
" I think she said something about cutting her heart out with a dull wooden spoon, and something about wet rawhide. I don't ask. Honestly, what happened to the sweet, innocent girl we grew up with? She was never this violent before she moved to America."  
" Yes, she was." Dan laughed, and Rob didn't duck when an arm landed across his shoulders warmly, a large hand mussing his hair roughly. "You just missed it. You should have heard all the vile things she threatened to do to Amy, you remember her? And she wasn't much better about Jody, or Kate, or…that dark-haired little girl, the one who was five-foot tall at most."  
" Clara. I never knew Liz was so violently opposed to my girlfriends."  
" Just the ones that treat you like crap."  
" Dan, you just listed every serious girlfriend I've ever had. I mean, the ones that I dated exclusively." Rob laughed, for some reason, maybe just because he needed to laugh and there was just something about being with his best mate again that made him feel better.

" Come on, let's get outside. You said there's a park nearby with pick-up soccer matches Sunday afternoons?"  
" Yeah -- it'll be about half students, and half people from the hospital. You want to see if that old body of yours can keep up?"  
" I'm younger than you!"  
" By fifteen days. And unlike you, I don't spend my entire day behind a desk." Rob teased, pulling his friend from the sofa. "Did you bring gear?"  
" Don't suppose you've a spare pair of boots?"  
" Not in your size, mate. You'll have to play in trainers."

" Eh, I'll still kick a bunch of American asses." Rob laughed again, and remembered why he'd always enjoyed Dan so much, especially in times when he felt crappy. Dan never let anyone wallow. Lizzie did. Lizzie would demand that you take the time to feel things, she'd hold you and try to talk you through it all, which was nice enough but sometimes a man just needed to go out and lose himself in a good bit of sport or some other distraction. Dan would make sure that Cameron was the furthest thing from his mind today -- probably by dragging him into the roughest game he could find. Maybe he'd even have a nice black-eye or some other injury to explain when he had to go back to work.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Last part! And this fic (unlike my others) I can guarantee is finished. It's just a little something, really, that I had to write -- I just couldn't let Lizzie stay on the other side of the continent. Hope you've all enjoyed it.

Let My Feelings Show

By Rebel Yell

Part Seven

"You don't look like you've been sick. You played hooky yesterday!" House crowed, as he came in to the conference room, looking over Chase carefully. Chase tried to stifle his smile, but couldn't quite do so. He was in too good a mood, too high from the most restful weekend he'd had in years. Even if he'd been kept very busy, it was oddly stress free.

" Yeah. I was also half an hour late this morning -- not that you'd notice -- because I had to drop a friend at Newark this morning. Any other comments you want to make about my social life?"  
" Yes. Was this 'friend' the hot little number that was here on Thursday and who you were so anxious to see on Friday? 'Cause she was _**hot**_ -- and it must've been a _really good_ weekend to make my most dependable minion take a day off." House sat at the table, leaning in as if he were a junior school girl looking for the latest gossip.

" No. Liz went back to California last night. Dan, Jen and their two sons went to London this morning."  
" Hah! I knew you were British. So, you totally spent the weekend with the hot chick?"  
" I'm Australian. And yes, Liz was at my apartment most of the weekend, and we're really just old friends. It _is _possible to be just friends with someone of the opposite gender. Do we have a case? If not, PICU asked for some help today."  
" Go. Make someone else put up with that stupid happy grin on your face. See if _they _believe that you didn't spend the weekend getting a _lot_ of sex. I'll page you if something interesting comes up." Chase didn't wait for a second invitation, just walked out of the department. He was having a hard time not talking to Cameron about what she'd said on Saturday, and yet he knew he shouldn't say anything at all. It was Tuesday, though, he'd have to make sure to give her the weekly reminder. He didn't want her to honestly think there was anything between him and Liz. Aside from the fact that Liz was the most important woman in his life…yeah, trying to explain that had always been difficult. They weren't romantic in the least, but he did love her. He wasn't sure how'd he feel about it if one of his girlfriends had a male friend like that, but he'd like to think he'd be understanding. He got the feeling that Cameron wouldn't be the type to believe him that it had never even crossed his mind to be anything other than friends to Lizzie.

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" It's…Tuesday." Chase started, and he heard Cameron sigh heavily. She still hadn't told him to bugger off, so he figured she wasn't all that bothered really. All it would take was her saying she didn't want to hear it, and he'd stop. She'd asked him to say it four times, and give her four weeks off, but she'd never actually said 'Chase, don't do this anymore' or any of the other things the mandatory sexual harassment training (extended, for some reason, for any foreign employees earning him extra special knowledge of protocols and procedures) had specified as giving a "yellow light", let alone a "red light". But then, how many women wouldn't want to hear that they were attractive enough to pursue once a week? Hell, even as a man he wouldn't mind it -- might be nice. Nobody had ever been that interested in his existence before, to even this passively pursue him. "I'm still interested, in case you--"  
" We've had this conversation. More than once. I thought it was all over, behind us. Especially after the weekend you spent with your 'friend'."

" Liz is one of my best friends. We've never had sex. We've slept together, but it's just sleeping. We don't need to make a big deal out of this, honestly. I just wanted to let you know that…I'm still available."  
" I'm _not interested_. You'd think you'd get tired of hearing that I _don't want you_. I'm not interested in you in any manner, other than as a colleague. That's it. A colleague. Not sex, not dinner, not anything other than work."  
" Okay." He shrugged, having done his weekly reminder. He wasn't going away, but he wasn't going to be a stalker or constantly push her. He may want her to know he was capable of being persistent, but there was a very fine line to walk between being persistent and being that creepy guy who followed her about asking her out all the time. It helped that he honestly didn't ever expect anything to come of it.

" Don't you ever get tired of being told you aren't wanted?"  
" No." It was the truth. He really was used to the feeling. She was a lot nicer about it than most, at least. She could definitely take lessons from his stepmother in how to make sure Robert Chase never wanted to be so much as in the same city as you.  
" There's persistence, and there's stupidity, Chase. You're pretty close to hitting stupidity. I don't _like_ repeating this every week." She almost sounded like she actually meant that, that she hated shooting him down. Yet, it wasn't really required that she say anything at all. If she hadn't changed her mind, she could just nod and continue working or just ignore him entirely. Maybe she didn't know that.

" Then don't. Look, I'm not demanding anything of you, Cameron. Not even a reply. You can just ignore me, if you like."

" And let you think I've changed my mind? No thanks. I don't want to mislead you, Chase. I never wanted to do that."  
" I know." He nodded, knowing that she'd certainly never wanted him to have feelings. He hadn't particularly wanted to have feelings for her, either, but then he'd sort of had an interest in her since early in her fellowship. He should've known himself well enough to know he couldn't handle emotionless sex for an extended period. Maybe it really was all those years of Catholicism drilled into his head…sex was important. It meant something. Or at least it should. And it did, for him, in this instance. He truly did care for her. "I understand you aren't interested right now. I just thought…in case you changed your mind in the future, I'd let you know that I'm still interested. And this wasn't supposed to be a big deal, but apparently today it's going to be."  
" I'm not going to be interested in you, Chase. I'm physically attracted to you. That's it. Nothing else. That's not going to change. It's…just not."

" Okay." He nodded, reminding himself that Cameron tended to overstate her arguments when she was emotional. She didn't really know him well enough to know he wasn't worth being interested in. She just couldn't foresee being interested in him, but it was pretty hard to foresee much beyond the next month or so, really. He'd learned young that God tended to laugh at plans made by the mere mortals.

" So, this is…behind us now?"  
" I can't just turn feelings off, Cameron."  
" And I can't just turn them on."  
" I know. I don't see anything relevant on these tests. Is there anything else I need to report to Dr. Elgar?" He didn't expect anything from her. She wasn't the first person he'd had a very one-sided relationship with. She probably wouldn't be the last.

" No. Chase?" He stopped, halfway out the door to the labs, bracing himself for what was probably not going to be a pleasant conference with Dr. Elgar. He was a wonderful man, but he was frustrated by this case and coupled with the fact that his wife was on bed-rest for the last month of her fifth pregnancy meant a very difficult Head of Pediatrics.

" I'm glad your friends came for a visit. You seem a lot…happier. Sort of…younger, when you smile. It looks good on you." She was blushing, and Chase smiled at that. She might not be romantically interested in him, but she certainly was attracted to him, she admitted as much. She noticed when he smiled, and he was fairly sure she still noticed his chest when he changed shirts. It wasn't what he was hoping for, but at least it was proof that she wasn't utterly adverse to something with him. It was a (tiny) start. And besides, sometimes it was just nice to be told he was good-looking. He never really forgot, but…reminders from women were always nice.

" I'm glad they visited too. I'm…uh, sorry, about Liz. She's protective. Like a big sister I never asked for. Sometime, when things have settled, you should really meet them properly. And, Cameron? Don't ever wear that blouse again. Please. It makes _my _clothes look good. Which just shouldn't be done." He laughed, seeing her mouth gape, then a grin spread across her face. He loved that playful smile, and was always ecstatic to see it, especially when he brought it out.

"Nothing could make your clothes look good. At least mine match."  
" Yes, but _I'm_ cute enough naturally that it's adorable." He replied, before ducking out quickly. It was rather nice, being able to joke with her. It was a good thing that had come out of the whole non-relationship-thing. Before that, Cameron's 'humor' towards him was almost always cutting and vaguely cruel. Now, at least, it was more like friendly banter. He could deal with that. Maybe he'd never get her to consider him boyfriend-material, but maybe he could finagle a friendship out of this. Sometimes, persistence didn't win the original goal -- but it usually won something.


End file.
